Johns Hopkins Health Alert
Drugstore Aisle Updates on Warfarin, DHEA, Black Cohosh
UPDATE
As part of our ongoing effort to ensure that this website is up to date, we have determined that the information in the article Drugstore Aisle Updates on Warfarin, DHEA, Black Cohosh is no longer current, and has therefore been removed.
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Posted in Prescription Drugs on May 8, 2007
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A very thorough review of the effects of gingko upon the body, and when taken in conjunction with other medicines, including warfarin and aspirin, can be found at the American Academy of Family Physicians website at http://www.aafp.org/afp/20030901/923.html.
This article gives a round-up, albeit not very thorough, of the 50 or so studies to date on gingko, and further ongoing clinical trials in progress, which I am sure Hopkins' specialists will be watching closely and reporting on in due course.
In the same way that not everyone can take aspirin safely, not everyone can take gingko safely, and as will all herbal supplements, there is very little quality or dosage control as to what is claimed on the label, versus what is in the pill itself, versus what you are putting in your body.
The 'warning' nature of the message, I am sure, is also for people who never think to mention vitamins and supplements they are taking, or assume because it is a 'natural' remedy, that it is completely harmless. As this article points out, Vitamin K and even green leafy vegetables can be potentially dangerous! if not regulated in conjunction with warfarin intake, which need to be monitored on a regular basis.
As always, the take home message here is to stay as informed as possible, and work as closely with your doctor as possible.
Many thanks for another very useful article!
Posted by: Jo | May 10, 2007 11:42 AM
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As a long-time user of some herbal supplements, I always tell my doctor if a prescription drug is suggested. Having said that, this article, I feel, goes a little over-board with the suggestion that Ginko Bilboa is a "dangerous" herb - that it can cause bleeding. I've taken Ginko for 20 years with absolutely no ill effects. Ginko is reported to be a blood thinner (like asprin) but I take asprin also (have for 40+ years).I believe that it has enabled me to remain reasonably mentally fit at the ripe age of 68 - very few lapses in memory if any and I seem to be able to recall names and phone numbers from decades ago. By the way, another leading medical center is testing Ginko's possible effectiveness with dementia patients. Some delaying of the onset of this disease has been reported by them.
Posted by: ffoegler | May 8, 2007 8:43 PM